52 - NEPAL - 18th/19th century

NEPAL - 18th/19th century Set of three bronze and copper oil lamps (sukunda) with a brown patina. Resting on truncated conical feet, the fluted body is decorated with rope motifs or friezes of petals, kapalas, and plant scrolls; the handles are formed by the body of a naga, a dragon, or a makara. All three feature a depiction of Ganesha above the lamp. (Damage, dents, restorations). H. 26.5 cm - 13 cm - 11.5 cm Oil lamps (sukunda) consist of several elements cast separately using the lost-wax technique, then assembled and riveted together. Their particularly elaborate shape evokes an inverted lotus resting on a hemispherical, upward-facing lotus corolla. The edges are often adorned with skulls. Attached to the front by rivets is a leaf-shaped oil reservoir surmounted by a nimbus decorated in high relief, at the center of which stands Ganapati. The handle is shaped like a seven-headed Naga. Reference: A similar lamp, also adorned with a multi-headed naga and a Ganesh, is housed at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Accession No. IM.276-1927